Friday, July 18, 2008

Flashback Friday: Patrick Hernandez - Born To Be Alive

"A suitcase and an old guitar"

When it comes to disco music I usually either hate it or love it. A great disco song is pretty much perfection, especially when you want to dance. And Born To Be Alive, despite not being one of the most well-known tunes of the era, is definitely in contention for best disco song ever. Everything about this--the hooks piled on top of hooks, the ridiculously fantastic guitars--is flawless. Even Hernandez's delivery (sort of like a disco Tim Curry) is unique and endearing. The video is definitely unique and endearing too, but in a completely different way (ie: camp as all get out). So, my advice this weekend... after going out and seeing The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia, throw this baby on an have an impromptu disco party.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Kitty & The K - By The Way

"Would you like me to stay?"

I've got another great Swedish pop band today. This time it's Kitty & The K, who unfortunately haven't released very much music yet. But, they've got potential to spare. Just listen to By The Way and you'll completely agree. It's got that shimmery euro-dance thing down pat. Smooth, perfect pop vocals collide with an equally smooth beat to create something completely irresistable. These guys have got a fantastic 80's inspired sense of style as well. I can definitely see them becoming much bigger in Sweden as they begin to release more material.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Kid - Mayhem Troopers

"I grow mental"

I am super, super impressed by the second album from Sweden's The Kid. Transient Blood, along with Black Kids' Partie Traumatic, is going to completely soundtrack my summer. It is a masterpiece (a term that Hybris, their label, seems to understand well--they also signed Juvelen). The vocals are like the perfect mash-up between Madonna, Kate Bush, Pat Benatar and Cyndi Lauper. Now how's that for a recommendation? Their current single, Transient Dance, is quite amazing, but Mayhem Troopers is the ultimate showstopper. When I first heard this neo-disco-stormer I was just blown away. It's like Abba for the twenty-first century mixed with Pat Benatar's Heartbreaker. These guys are absolutely unstoppable.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Dragonette - Sharp Dressed Man

"Girls go crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man"

Music site Buffet Libre is offering a really, really cool mix cd for free download. They've taken tons of current artists from all over the world and asked them to cover some of their favorite 80's hits. Each song is absolutely free and, trust me, you can spend hours on this site listening to them. Today I'm going to post a track by one of the more well-known groups participating in this project: Dragonette. I'll never understand why Dragonette didn't make a bigger splash than they did with their first album, but I'm crossing my fingers that fate has more in store for them when they release their next one. In the meantime, we've got this great (and slightly bizarre) ZZ Top cover to tide us over. It is freaking fantastic.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Don Juan Dracula - Television

"You see me coming in the city lights"

I'm not sure about Don Juan Dracula's new album. Young Debutantes II was one of the best synth pop records of the decade, so my expectations for its follow-up were pretty high. The singles released beforehand didn't do much to excite me, and most of the album is, unfortunately, kind of the same. Still, DJD are a fantastic band and even though the new songs aren't nearly as catchy as the old ones, they're still a lot better than most bands out there. Television is one of the more instant pop tracks on the record. It combines a frantic, guitar-assisted chorus with some gorgeous mellow verses. And as good as it is, I wish there was another Run Away With You on this album!

the bias list//

skyship academy//

...Transmissions come in from outposts all over the universe... Unfamiliar melodies stream into our radios... Fronted by colorful aliens with big voices... The music begins to catch on ... It's in our heads and it refuses to leave... And we like it...

I post music on this blog out of love for the artists and in the hope that I can promote the singers and bands that I am so passionate about. If you are (or represent) an artist and would like any content taken down, don't hesitate to email me at the link above and it will be removed immediately.